Time for all good boat-owners to reach for their cheque-books or credit cards and shell out more money to pay for their boats to be lifted out, scrubbed, blocked off and winterised ready for next year's Spring antifouling and re-launching ritual. Misty will probably come out for a couple of weeks in November but I'm already starting to enjoy a less crowded Solent and hopefully will continue to do so throught the coming Autumn and Winter months.
There are some potential hazards to what the Americans call 'frostbite sailing'. Apart from sometimes having to chip the ice off the deck there is the fog. I took the next 4 photos a couple of days ago on my way out of the Hamble in the early morning. This sort of stuff forms overnight as clear skies allow the earth and moist air next to it to cool down. The fog usually thickens around dawn as gentle winds stir and mix up the layers of air close to the ground before the sun burns it off mid-morning. 
By the time I reached the mouth of the river the fog had started to drift away leaving the upper half of Fawley power station's chimney exposed above the fog bank. Reminds me of a photo I once saw of the tower of Lincoln Cathedral sticking out of the Lincolnshire fog. Apparently it used to guide the WW2 bombers home to their local airfield bases near the city.
Out towards Calshot this ship was entering Southampton Water, Page & Moy's cruise ship "Ocean Majesty".
Further down off Cowes was another cruise ship, Hapag-Lloyd's "Europa". At first I couldn't understand what she was doing, moving very slowly with a couple of her boats in the water. Engine trouble? Lifeboat drill? Actually she was not inbound to Southampton but anchoring off Cowes to allow her mainly German passengers to visit the town, hence the boats.
By the time I reached the mouth of the river the fog had started to drift away leaving the upper half of Fawley power station's chimney exposed above the fog bank. Reminds me of a photo I once saw of the tower of Lincoln Cathedral sticking out of the Lincolnshire fog. Apparently it used to guide the WW2 bombers home to their local airfield bases near the city.
Out towards Calshot this ship was entering Southampton Water, Page & Moy's cruise ship "Ocean Majesty".
Further down off Cowes was another cruise ship, Hapag-Lloyd's "Europa". At first I couldn't understand what she was doing, moving very slowly with a couple of her boats in the water. Engine trouble? Lifeboat drill? Actually she was not inbound to Southampton but anchoring off Cowes to allow her mainly German passengers to visit the town, hence the boats. She departed in the afternoon via the West Solent and the Hurst Narrows.
More at http://www.cybercruises.com/europa.htm
Finally, someone I hadn't expected to see again after it departed for a summer of sun, sea and the rest in Northern climes, but there it was waiting expectantly when I returned to the pontoon one day last week:
It has to be same, tame, Little Gull looking demure as ever.
Finally, someone I hadn't expected to see again after it departed for a summer of sun, sea and the rest in Northern climes, but there it was waiting expectantly when I returned to the pontoon one day last week:
It has to be same, tame, Little Gull looking demure as ever.
